British Diesels and Electrics

Class 44 (BR/Sulzer 2,300hp Type C(4) Diesel-Electric)

The first of the "Peaks", the Class 44 was the most powerful batch of diesels built in the British Railways Modernisation Plan diesel pilot-scheme, but also the heaviest! [1] Weighing in at 133 tons (and that was with some modifications to reduce weight) the Class 44 were imposing locomotives with their 1Co-Co1 bogie wheel arrangement ,which had extra load bearing wheels (similar to the Class 40 and the Bulleid prototype main line diesels). The Class 44 derived a lot of it's internals from the LMS prototypes 10000/1 and the SR Bulleid locomotives 10201-3.

D4 at Kidderminster Town

Information
Number built:	10
Built:	1959-60
Builder:	BR Derby
Engine:	Sulzer 12LDA28 diesel
Power:	2, 300 hp (1, 715 kW)
Wheel arrangement:	1Co-Co1

Although there were some early issues with the bogies, which could crack or catch fire if maintenance was lax, the Class 44s were a successful design and were followed on by the uprated series production Class 45 and 46. All three classes of locomotives are known as the Peaks, the name due to the Class 44s being named after British mountains.

When they first entered service they were used on express passenger services. They were supplanted by more powerful machines after a few years and spent most of their careers, especially on their final years, on freight duties in the London Midland Region area [2]. Scrapping began in the late 1970s as the Class 44s were surplus to requirements, with the last leaving service in 1980 [3]. Two have been preserved.

D8 at Rowsley South

Another view of D8

D4 arrives at Kidderminster Town

Nose view of D8

D8 stands ready for a new service

[1] Brian Haresnape, Early Prototype & Pilot Scheme Diesel-Electrics (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 77
[2] John Vaughan, Diesels on the London Midland (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 62
[3] John Glover, BR Diary 1978-1985 (Ian Allan, 1985) p. 47

Intercity 125 (Classes 253, 254, 255)

As built, the Intercity 125 High Speed Train were originally classified as diesel electric multiple units. They of course had two power cars, one at either end, sandwiching unpowered coaching stock. Class 253 was used for trains allocated to Western Region and Class 254 for Eastern Region (the prototype set was classified Class 252). Later on, the power cars were reclassified as locomotives (because they are) as Class 43. The DEMU class numbers are still used in some Network Rail documents though the unit numbers are no longer carried except on historical liveries.

Carrying set number 253 001 under the nose, 43 002 at London Paddington

Information for Class 255
Number built:	12 sets
Built:	1975-82
Builder:	BR Crewe & Derby
Motor:	2 Paxman 12VP185 or MTU 16V4000 R41R diesels
Power:	(12VP185) 4, 200 hp (3, 130 kW) (MTU) 4, 500 hp (3, 352 kW)

Class 255 has been given to GWR's short formed (four coaches instead of seven or eight in a traditional HST) sets which entered service in 2019.

Class 255 including 43 029 at Newport

Preserved power car 43 018 at Crewe Heritage Centre carrying set number 253 009

Northern City Line Stock

The Northern City Line was a London railway opened by the Great Northern Railway in 1904. The line originally stretched from Finsbury Park to Moorgate and was underground though the tunnels were built larger than contemporary "tube" tunnels and were able to operate full sized trains. The first batch of motor cars and trailers was built by the Electric Railway & Tramway Carriage Works (a.k.a. Dick, Kerr) with teak and mahogany bodies on a steel underframe. In 1906 Brush built a second batch of cars with steel bodies. All the motor cars used British Thomson-Houston electrical equipment.

Wooden bodied motor car, all images [1]

Information
Number built:	76 (31 motor cars 45 trailers)
Built:	1901-06
Builder:	Electric Railway & Tramway Carriage Works, Preston Brush Electrical Engineering
Motor:	2 British Thomson-Houston electric motors per motor car (550v DC fourth rail)
Power:	250 hp (186 kW) per motor car

The railway was bought by the Metropolitan Railway in 1913 and became part of the London Underground, eventually becoming part of the Northern Line. In 1976 it was returned back to British Rail and is currently operated by Great Northern using Class 717s. As for the original rolling stock it was replaced by Standard Stock in 1939.

Motor bogie

Trailer

[1] "The Great Northern & City Railway", The Street Railway Journal Vol. XXIV No. 10 (March 5 1904) p. 340

Class 325

The Class 325 was developed as a cost-effective alternative to using locomotive hauled stock for parcels traffic. Originally British Rail planned to convert Class 307 electric multiple units for parcels traffic but the age of the 307 caused a rethink. BR decided instead to have new purpose built units. The Class 325 is based on the Class 319 mechanically [1] (though with a Networker style cab) and is a very versatile unit able to operate on AC overhead or DC third rail electric routes. It can also be used as loco hauled stock with electric or diesel locomotives.

325 007 passes through Stafford

Information
Number built:	64 cars (16 sets)
Built:	1995-96
Builder:	ABB Derby
Engine:	4 GEC G315BZ traction motors (25kV AC OLHE or 750v DC third-rail)
Power:	1, 438 hp (1, 072 kW)
Formation:	Driving Trailer Postal Mail Van (DTPMV)+Motor Postal Mail Van (MPMV)+Trailer Postal Mail Van (TPMV)+DTPMV

Each car has two sets of roller shutter blinds and can carry up to twelve tons of mail. The cars have no gangway access and indeed no access from the cabs to the rest of the driving trailers for security reasons.

Technically the 325 have been fine no doubt due to the off the shelf nature of much of the equipment used, its only problem being available work. Royal Mail moved away from using the railway in the early 2000s and the fleet spent some time in store largely unemployed but following new contracts they have found a use again. All but one set remains in service, the other was scrapped following damage and cannibalisation for spares.

325 016 arrives at Stafford

Another view of 325 016

Sideways view showing Royal Mail loco and roller shutter

325 007 at Stafford

[1] Colin J Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 264

Leith Corporation Tramways Sweeper Sprinkler Car

As well as it's fleet of street trams, the short lived Leith Corporation Tramway also operated this sweeper and sprinkler car. The car was fitted with two brooms, a snow plough and a sprinkler with a 1000 gallon (4546 litre) water tank.

Picture from [1]

Information
Number built:	1
Built:	1905
Builder:	United Electric Car Works of Preston
Motor:	2 GE58 electric motors (500v DC OHLE)

The car was fitted with two GE58 six-turn armature motors and British Thomson-Houston electrical equipment.

[1] "Leith Corporation Tramways", Street Railway Journal (Vol. XXVI No. 24) Dec 9 1905, p. 1018

LBSCR Crystal Palace Stock / SR Class CP

The Crystal Palace Stock was built by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway as part of it's overhead electrification of London lines. Sixty cars were built by the Metropolitan Amalgamated Carriage & Wagon Works with extra trailers and motor cars built by the railway company at their own Lancing Carriage Works. All cars had cabs which allowed the LBSCR to use a variety of formations. The stock was fitted with a bow collector.

LBSCR catenary and train at Peckham Rye, all images [1]

Information
Number built:	102 (34 3-car sets)
Built:	1911-13
Builder:	Metropolitan Amalgamated Carriage & Wagon Works LBSCR Lancing Carriage Works
Motor:	4 Winter Eichberg electric motors (6.7 kV AC OHLE)
Power:	600 hp (447 kW)
Formation:	Driving Trailer Composite (DTC) + Driving Motor Brake Third (DMBT) + DTC

After the LBSCR was absorbed into the Southern Railway in the 1920s, the SR standardised on third rail DC electric collection. The Crystal Palace Stock, now known as Class CP by the Southern, was duly converted in 1928-9.

Bow collector